Felting!!!

Oh - I have had so much fun this last week!  We had annual leave and did some daytrips.  We live in a London Borough - which means we are considered to be London - but I have never really done all the touristy things around London - so we went on an open top bus yesterday, all around the sights!  Such fun.  Included in our ticket price was a cruise down the Thames - we went down to Greenwich.  Now - this seems like so much rambling BUT its not!  Well, it is!  But not without a reason!

When we were in Greenwich we met this lovely lady who was doing felting.  Excuse the dragon - take a peek at my sidebar - we do a library blog with Dexter!  Anyway - the lovely lady showed Josh and me how to wet felt - we made a strawberry each! Then she showed us how to needle felt.

I liked this....alot!  Its quick, you can't do it wrong and its lots of fun!

This was my first thing I made.  Its a holder for my phone.  There is no sewing in this at all....not a single stitch.  Nope, not for putting it together, not for the flower or the strap - no sewing at all!  I had a strip of felt in my kit so felted on top of that - made it a bit thick but its definitely going to protect my phone!

Josh liked the case and wanted one for his ipod touch - have to say they feel really soft and fluffy!  Did this one with no backing felt which made it even softer.  He chose the colours - and, NO, I didnt put a flower on it!  Obviously this picture is of the back of it - it has the same flapover as the one above.

And this is a little bag I made today.  Its from normal felt - then I felted on the flower and edging.  I didnt use a pattern, just kinda made it up as I went along. 

Here it is again - it took a few hours, but all in front of the tv watching a film - so really no hardship!

And this is just a little something!  Not sure what I am going to do with this, was just playing around really. 

Could really see uses for this - flowers for cards, little scenes, just abstract colours etc.

I would urge anyone to go away and try it out if you have the time and inclination.  Its really lots of fun - and you cant actually do it wrong!

Thanks for looking

Rx

People leaving after candy winners announced!

Hmmmm - what can you do?  I had a little blog candy - Victoria won it!  There was no criteria for anyone to become a follower to enter the candy - but some people did, so I was really happy - and then a couple left when it was announced.  Just dont get it!  Mind you - am still so excited to be over the 100 mark - so yay to everyone else who didnt leave!  Think I will find a little candy for existing followers only!  Mind you - have to post the other one out first!

Watch this space - thank you for hanging around!

Rx

Pollycraft Flash Your Freebie! (PFYF!)

Oh Paula, from Pollycraft, is spoiling us now!  She gave us a freebie last week for using a freebie - now, if we use that freebie then we can get another freebie!!!  Eeeee!

This is the image we all received!  How cute?  And the challenge was to "go green" - I really wanted to hit the eco angle on this...but didnt!  LOL x

I couldn't decide what sentiment to use - and also didnt want to over-embellish - so went for a tent card with the sentiment you see!

But wait......

Flip it round and you see my other choice!  Hee hee - thought I could put this on my desk as a "mood monitor"....but - have lost it to my son already!  He has snaffled it for his room - which sounds great, but I just know that I will find it in a coupla weeks squished under a pile of books!

Hmmm - maybe I wait for him to go to bed then sneak in and nick it back off him!

Thanks for looking

Rx

Aud Sentiments - Christmas!

Christmas has come early over on AudSentiments!!!  YAY!

Hmmmm - actually, I dont send Christmas cards!  Ok - its really not THAT shocking!  Lolx  I used to go out and buy all my cards, sit and write them, address them etc but never actually POST them!  I used to get so stressed about this that I decided I wouldnt send Christmas Cards anymore!  And the best bit is, that no one notices!  Seriously - those who are close to me know why I dont send them and dont mind - no one else seems to realise!

Last year, I was saying to my team that I dont send cards and one of my team was absolutely insistent that I had sent her cards every year!  It is just so busy at Christmas that no one really notices if you dont send a card!

So - onto the challenge!  This challenge was sponsored by Digi Doodles and we were very kindly give a pick of images. Ahhhh how could I have chosen anything else?

So - the challenge is to make a Christmas Card with any appropriate sentiment.  I used the shiny blotchy stuff.....mmmmm crystal something....eeee cant remember - but used it on the baubles.


Well - why dont you pop over to Digi Doodles and check out their great images - then go and check out the rest of the DT's wonderful offerings over at Aud Sentiments.  And finally - go make one and link it up!  This challenge is getting crazy out there now - we had over 100 entries this time - so if you wanna be in with the crowd, come and play along!

Thanks for looking

Rx

WOYWDW, WOMBDW & Candy draw

Yep - all 30 goodie bags done!  Also got Josh to write the thank you cards last night so everything is finished and in bags for tomorrow - feeling quite organised now!

Oh, by the way - this is my WOYWDW - or actually Tuesday!

This is WOMBDW - "Whats out my back door Wednesday!" - hee hee

And this one too!  We don't have a huge garden - enough for a trampoline, some grass and some flowers.  For where we live its a good size,  but this is England, we save all the green bits for the parks!  Oh and of course the Lake District!

Yes - this isn't in the back garden - a little cheat here!  Oh - and it wasnt taken on Wednesday - actually on Monday evening!  So I suppose it would be - WOMTITFDOME - Whats on my trailer in the front drive on Monday evening!  This is out moggy Popcorn - and she was absolutely disgusted because we had just given her some flea treatment!  

Final picture!!!  This was taken on Sunday - and no I am not going to work out those initials!  We launched our Summer Reading Challenge in our libraries over at a community fayre.  It was very hot and very busy - the theme for the UK this year is the "Space Hop" - well we couldn't miss out on the chance of getting space hoppers!  I was doing facepainting with a colleague and was the one lucky enough to do this guy - he was such a good laugh!

OK - CANDY!!!  The winner was Number One - that's Victoria!!!!  Well done Victoria - could you email me your addie - gedalovitch at gmail dot com.  

Thanks so much to everyone who joined in.

Rx

Thank you cards finished

Well - his nibs breaks up on Thursday - so still got a few days to go.

Goodie bags are packed and just need their tops added.

Lisa and Ladies (above) are the dinner ladies who always seem to have a lovely smile - no matter whether its before school, selling lunch tickets, or at lunchtime!

Mrs Kelly is the classroom assistant in Josh's class - she is so sweet and lovely!

Mrs Bush is the headteacher.  We haven't had a great deal to do with her (its a large school) but she has been very nice to Josh since he arrived just before Easter.

Mrs Mangan is the lady in the office!  Boy, when my kiddo wants thank you cards he wants them for everyone!!!

And finally - the classroom teacher, Mr Evans.  He says that Josh is highly intelligent, extremely elequent but with the concentration of a gnat!  YEP!  Thats my boy!


CANDY - I will pop back tomorrow evening and announce the winner....just building up the tension - lolx

Rx

Emma's New Shop!!!

WOW - fancy winning £10???  Well Emma is offering a £10 voucher to her new store here.  But you know, even without the incentive to blog about it...I would have put this up! 

Emma was one of the first people I came into contact with when I first set up my blog - she was kind and welcoming to blogland which counts alot to me!

Go on - go and check out Emma's Store - its looking good - Emma's still adding things - but think I am gonna pop over later and grab some Dew Drops.....mmmmmmmmmmm spend money!

Good Luck Emma!

Rx

WOYWW

Dont seem to get the chance to play along with this very often!  But just had to today......yep its cute and furry!

Not sure what the wonky photo is about!!!

But yes - that is a rather cute and furry hamster - called..... DA BEAST!!!

She is just sooooo sweet!  She really belongs to Josh - but I quite like her too!  Mind you - we have a lizard, two cats, two guinea pigs (up until Sunday it was 3!!), some fish - and ....DA BEAST!!

Ok - the makings of Josh's thank you cards for his teachers - and also, just behind, the toppers for his bags of sweeties - 30 of them!  Hence the very plain design - lol

And these are just a sample of the pics I took trying to get something useable!!

Thanks for looking

Go and check out the other WOYWWers

Rx

Bit dry in the crafting department!

Yep - not much going on over here lately!  Bit of a dry spell really.

Over at Pollycraft, Paula asked if we could post up something created with one of her freebies.  Well, she is just so generous that I had a few to choose from!  I decided to use Cody though.















And here she is with her cover lifted.  Decided to go pale and interesting - there are just waaaaay too many orange skinned people around here!

Well - gonna hop over and link up my notepad.  Paula said she will send us another freebie for doing that!  See, method in my madness!

There are other freebies on the site, so if you wanna join in just pop on over to Pollycraft!

Thanks for looking

Rx

The answer....

Yep - you got it right.....it was to do with the leaves!  If you don't know what on earth I am going on about, just take a peep at yesterday's post!  I really couldnt decide whether the leaves should be over or under the image!  I did finally decide on under for the same reason a couple of peeps said - they covered the image otherwise!

Gotta go and do things now - and should YOU really be sitting there reading blog posts????  Hmmmm??  Oh, OK then - glad you are reading blog posts!!!!

Rx

Aud Sentiments - No sentiment!

Gosh - there were sooooo many entries to the last challenge!  50!!!  I have to say that I, personally, get so much inspiration out of looking at all the entries.  I love that we get to vote on them too - within the team there is a cool mix of styles so it means that everyone has a fair chance of winning rather than just one style of card!


Oh, enough already!










Our challenge this time is to not use a sentiment at all!  Now, I absolutely loved this idea as I often dont put a sentiment on until I decide who the card is for! 

We are sponsored by the rather wonderful spesch stamps and we were very lucky to be given stamps to use on our creations.

This one was a little different to some of their other designs.  I really just loved it! 





Now - here is a challenge for you - you need to spot the difference between the middle two photos on this blog!  Thats photos 2 and 3.  There is a very subtle difference and I just couldnt decide which one I preferred!

Leave me a comment if you figure it out!

Back to the challenge.....we would love to see your creations without sentiments.  If you would like to join in then just pop on over to AudSentiments and get all the details. 






Spesch have offered 3 digi stamps or one clear stamp to the winner.

  

Oh - and while I remember, we have two new DT members - Emma and Susan!  They are mum and daughter and they were entering our challenge so often, and their creations were so wonderful that everyone knew they just had to join the team!  Go and check out their blog!

thanks for taking the time to visit

Rx

Thought!!

Hmmmm- I didnt get onto Kenny Ks DT - not too sad about that because the standard was just crazy high!  BUT was thinking that I didnt ACTUALLY need to be on a DT to concentrate on particular designers that I really like!  Soooooo - am in the middle of sorting out a plan - am going to schedule myself particular designers to work with on particular days - or maybe just on a rota (so I dont end up always missing out on one designer cos that day is busy!).  Ha ha - feel a bit creepy and a bit like a stalker - but its not like that really!!!

Think I would like to spend one day working only with physical stamps (as in, not digis) cos I do find these more of a challenge.  And also, they do tend to get neglected a little!

Designers whose images I particularly want to work with are....Mo Manning - quirky and fun.  Karens Doodles - just so rounded and cute!  Pollycraft - great range of images.  Kenny K - just think his girls are beautiful and spot on!  And....possibly Tilda? Oh and I like the Sugar Nellie stuff....and I am sure there will be others I have forgotten for now - and I will have to keep coming back and amending this!  Oh and BUGABOO!!!  Have just been over and ordered LOADS of images - 50% off!!!

Hmmm - anyone else got any ideas?

Oooooo - also Dustin Pike - because I have hugggge numbers of his images and dont really use them enough anymore!

OK - I have my first list up - left sidebar - sure this list will get added to - but hoping to keep it relatively small

Obviously I will still keep up with my fabby DT for AudSentiments - and Doodle Palace, when they get their team up and running again!

And the card????  Just because!

Thanks for reading my warbling (if you did!!!)

Rx

Audsentiments Candy

Wow - over at Audsentiments there is a fabby candy just waiting for someone to win it!

Now - you know how it goes, pop over, follow, link it up and sit back with your fingers crossed!

Of course, now would be a great time to suggest that you join in our challenge this fortnight....it's to use the word LOVE!

Ok - now, pop on over to Audsentiments - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Rx

Challenge Cards!

Both of these cards have images from designers that I really like!  So bearing this in mind, I wanted to make the image the focal point of the cards!

This is my first one with Lily of the Valley image on it.  I followed Dawns fabby sketch (which I found harder than I thought!!!) - hubby came in and found me a nice piece of green card from my stash!

Would also like to enter it into Crafty Sentiments Challenge this week - a birthday theme!!!  Have only just discovered the blog and there is a rather fabby digi freebie on there to check out!

And this is for a challenge over at Karen's Doodles.  I just love this image!  Makes me laugh everytime I see it!  And it colours up a dream!

The challenge was to include a tag!  I really hope I don't have occassion to use this particular card - well, not with that tag anyway!  Wow - just thought - you could make a few different cards, a few different tags and give them to someone as a kind of "pick and mix"!!!  That way they will always have the right sentiment to go with the right image!  OK - you read it here first...its my intellectual property!  LOLX

Well - time to go and do other things! Oooops pick up my child!!!


Thanks for looking

Rx

Busy week - ups and downs! And another challenge card!!!!

Oh boy!  Its been such a busy, fun week this week.  BUT I went to hospital this morning and they confirmed I am going to have to have my gallbladder out!  YUKKKK!  Still - its a nice easy op so thats good!

And just can't wait for tomorrow!  Busy Saturday morning (as usual!) and then in the afternoon a friend that I haven't seen in an age is coming over.  And then...we are going with another friend and some work colleagues to...Shakespeare in the park!  Now - have never been before, but its meant to be fabby!  Taming of the Shrew - need to go and find out the story NOW in case I dont understand it!  I did Shakespeare in school - loved it, but that was when I had the study guide and understood all the asides and how they related to that period of time.

And this card is for my friend!  She has had a tough time and I am so glad she is back on the scene!  Image is rather fabby Anya from the Greetings Farm - and I have followed their Farm Fresh Friday sketch - two sketches in one day! 

And then - because it's for my friend, I would like to enter this in the Simon Says Challenge - which is "You Gotta Have Friends"

I have layered it up a little, with that and the glossy accents (think that's its name!) - oh and the buttons - I can enter it into ABC's Challenge which is to add Xtra dimension - did wonder what the "X" would be - had visions of triple X stuff all over everyone's blogs!

Finally, Sew Many Cards have an "Anything Goes" challenge - well it would be rude not to, wouldn't it!!!

And you can't really see it but I used that glossy stuff on her glasses - looks alot better "in the flesh!" - this means that I can enter it into Crafty Creations Challenge to "let it shine!"

Thanks for looking

Rx

Just Magnolia,Cute Card Thursday and Crafty Creations!

OK - two firsts for me today!!!  This is the first Magnolia I have ever coloured...and also, the first image I have coloured in grey!

Ok -would like to enter this into Just Magnolia's Challenge which was to follow a sketch!

Used wallpaper for the bottom layer - and a page from a magazine for the next layer up!   Hey - make do and mend!

Ooo and that makes it eligible for Cute Card Thursday's Challenge which is to Renew, Reuse, Recycle!

Not all that happy with it, but hey - cant always get everything right!

It was quite fun colouring just in grey - will probably have another go at this sometime soon...

I coloured all the leaves in with Sakura Tiara pens - but you just can't see the glitter at all - please take my word for it, because it means that I can also slot it into Crafty Creation's Challenge which was to add a bit of glitter - oh and used glossy gel Sakuras on the butterfly and tag too!

Well - pop over and take a look at everyone else's creations over at Just Magnolia,  Cute Cards Thursday and Crafty Creations if you have a few minutes!

thanks for looking

Rx

Aud Sentiments - LOVE

Love is most definitely in the air over at AudSentiments today!  This challenge is to use the word LOVE on your sentiment - either as part of your sentiment (I used Young Love) or just use the word LOVE itself!

 We are so lucky to be sponosred by Karen's Doodles for this challenge - and even luckier in that we got to choose an image (or 2!) to work with for our DT offerings!

Just couldn't refuse these two cuties.  How delightful are they?  And such a dream to colour!

OK - you know what you need to do....pop over to AudSentiments and join in - do check out the DT work while you are over there!

And then - pop over to Karens Doodles and drool over her images!

Thanks for looking

Rx

Passion for promarkers challenge

I saw this and thought I just had to enter it....Passion for Promarkers are calling for "My favourite things"...

Now, there are a few of my fave things on here -

• My new Kenny K images - eeeee just love them!
• Sparkly, dotty trainers - well, funky footwear in general!
• Jewellery (see it in the background?)
• My promarkers (of course)
• My nestabilities (of course)
• Chilling and watching the world go by
• and....making something out of nothing!

Hmmm think I should explain the last one....all the background papers come from a rather glossy magazine that is produced where my hubby works!  He works in Burlington Arcade - which is a very posh shopping arcade in London - near Green Park.  All the doormen wear formal dress and you are not allowed to be scruffy, talk loudly, chew gum etc or you will be asked to leave the Arcade!  Needless to say, I don't visit too often!  SO - the papers came from the magazine and were part of a photo shoot to promote a jewellery shop in the arcade!  Which now means that I can add in "shopping" to my list of fave things!  LOLX

I really hope that I have met the criteria - the girls are toughening up (but hey - you gotta check out the DT stuff)!

Ooo and just discovered this also fits the criteria over on Totally Gorjuss - which is Sugar and Spice!  Go and check out the fab DT work!

Thanks for looking
Rx

Little something for the dinner lady!

We went to buy Josh's school dinner tickets this morning and he told me that the lovely lunch lady, who has made him soooo welcome in his new school, had a birthday last week (or possibly the week before!  LOL).

When Josh joined this school, he came from an independent (private) school which had 8 children in a year.  He was very much a big fish in a small pond!  He was constantly getting dmerits because he would chat and giggle (challenging authority was what it was called) - although his class teacher didnt have a problem with him!  Very long story cut short....we decided to move him - within a week at his new school we were asked to go and get him checked for ADD.  Despite us having asked the original school loads of times if this was a possibility!  I have since had parents come and say that they felt that Josh was being picked on by certain teachers.

Although Josh was said to be "challenging authority", all the teachers (from the original and current school) have said he was a kind, caring and polite child!

About a week or so after starting the new school, I went into the canteen to buy some lunch tickets and the lady (Lisa) said Hi to Josh, by name!  OK there are 120 children in each year - and 4 years in the school ...so of course, being a mum who doesnt have rose tinted glasses (!!!) I questioned how she knew him by name already...she replied that Josh is one of her quiet ones and is always so polite!


I am so sad about what Josh went through at his old school - the sneaking suspicions I had that Josh was being as "challenging" as they said etc - he is not an angel (what child is?) and I am not naive!  But we now realise that talking in the lunch hall, chatting during choir practice etc are not grounds for suspension (he was threatened with this!!!!) - in the state schools, if you are suspended you are violent or abusive!!!

Wow - thats turned out to be a bit of a long post!

Inside the card are 8 bookmarks - the tag reads "Colour you own disposable bookmarks" and they are just a variety of images printed onto card.

The sentiment reads "Elephants never forget...but we did!"

Think thats about it for now!

Gonna go and hug my boy now!

Rx